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CONYERS, Ga Police Officer Pays it forward good Samaritan picks up the ball and runs

CONYERS, Ga. What started out as a small act of kindness by Police Officer Chris Burns on September 27, 2015 when he happened upon two elderly people who were down on their luck has started to snowball. A thoughtful gesture by the Officer toward William and Sharon Johnson got some much needed attention by local media outlet 11 Alive Atlanta and has been a blessing to them.

On September 27, 2015 while on routine patrol Officer Chris Burns saw a vehicle parked under some trees in a parking lot and stopped to ask the occupants what they were doing.

Mr. William Johnson and his wife Sharon were playing cards and William told the Officer “I’m getting beat.” with a smile. being down on his luck had not taken his sense of humor. In fact the two were waiting for a check to come in at the end of the month as they had been living out of their car.

Officer Burns spoke with Mr. Johnson for a short while then left the two people in peace but he, himself was not and his mind went back to his own grandparents who struggled in the past without money. He decided to make a small gesture in light of his grandparents hardships toward the Johnsons.

Burns went to a local ATM and withdrew $60.00 and returned to the parking lot and gave the couple the money he had just withdrawn from his account in hopes that it would help them a little until their check arrived. He gave them a business card and told them if they needed anything to contact him.

William told 11 Alive “He came back, stuck that (money) through the window,” Johnson said. “I said thank you but I am going to get this back to you.”

After the first of the month Burns found an envelope in his mailbox with $60.00 in it with a note from the Johnsons stating “We would like to thank you for your kindness and to pay you back.” P.S.: “She got two cups of coffee.”

Burns said to 11 Alive “I was like ‘that’s pretty cool, That he would go out of his way to repay me for just doing something to help him.”

Burns posted the thank you note and a copy of the cash on the Departments facebook page and it received several thousand likes in short order.

After some media picked up on the story and Facebook media got some traction an an anonymous donor put the couple up in a motel for a week and gave them some gift cards to help get by, according to police. The Good Samaritan is also working to help the couple find a permanent home.

The power of paying it forward, Police helping citizens, citizens helping Police. The Thin Blue Line gets wider.